Verizon XLTE program includes spectrum in the 1.7/2.1 GHz bands designed to increase capacity of its LTE service, with coverage now in 466 markets
Verizon Wireless said it added spectrum support to 13 markets during the first quarter of the year as part of its ongoing XLTE initiative. The carrier said the updated network, which includes spectrum support from the 700 MHz and 1.7/2.1 GHz bands, is now available across 466 markets.
The newest markets added to the list include areas of Michigan, Maine, Nebraska, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Mississippi, Texas and Wisconsin. While the core tenant of the XLTE program is the addition of the 1.7/2.1 GHz spectrum support, Verizon Wireless noted customers sporting devices without that band should still see improved performance as consumers with device support will see some of their traffic moved to the higher band. Verizon Wireless has also been refarming spectrum in the 1.9 GHz band to support LTE.
Verizon Wireless’ push for XLTE expansion also includes its LTE in Rural America program partners, with claims Kentucky-based Bluegrass Cellular has begun to add 1.7/2.1 GHz support to its LRA-based network in parts of central Kentucky. Verizon Wireless said it has begun to lease its AWS-1 spectrum licenses to LRA members in some markets as needed to meet increasing demand.
Bluegrass was the first operator to join the LRA program back in 2010, and late last year said it completed the build out of its LTE network covering its entire operating footprint. Bluegrass said the five-year deployment included the launch of 115 new LTE sites providing coverage to 732,000 potential customers in a 10,300 square mile radius. As part of the Verizon Wireless LTE partnership, Bluegrass customers will have roaming access to a nationwide LTE network, with Verizon Wireless customers in turn having roaming access to the network built by Bluegrass.
Verizon Wireless’ LRA program includes 21 companies across 15 states, with current coverage through the program said to include 2.7 million potential customers across 120,000 square miles.
Verizon Wireless initiated its XLTE program in mid-2014, which the carrier said provided faster network speeds through the doubling of bandwidth available across the network. Verizon Wireless initially launched LTE services using 20 megahertz of spectrum from the 700 MHz band, which provided the carrier with the ability to efficiently cover the more than 300 million potential customers that currently have access to the network. Strong usage in some markets required Verizon Wireless to quickly begin adding up to 20 megahertz of spectrum support from its AWS spectrum holdings to bolster capacity.
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